The Boils and Ghouls Club of America is bringing classic and relativity unknown horror movies to ASU
For the past two semesters the club has been screening horror movies in Discovery Hall at the Tempe campus.
Eric Hirsch, Joe Adams, Kevin King and Tim Hart created the club in spring 2009.
“We used to watch horror movies every day of the week at our apartment,” said Hirsch, the club president. “We had a really bad DVD player and thought the best way to use the ASU projectors would be to start a club.”
As the club grew, he said people enjoyed adding their own “Mystery Science Theater 3000” commentary to the movies.
“We wanted to share that kind of experience with like-minded people,” Hirsh said.
The club’s mission has changed over time, he said.
“Although the club started as a loose gathering of friends, its mission has become to expand people’s perception of what the horror movie genre is,” Hirsch said. “We want to show the genre’s classics as well as films that may not get as much exposure.”
Club member and music senior Matt Busch said the club was an entertaining time.
“It’s a laidback club, we get to make our own commentary and … have fun with it.”
At a Nov. 5 meeting, the club played the cult classic 1986 horror movie “House.” The event drew a crowd of about 30 people, including members and newcomers.
Victoria Watson, a business sophomore who attended her first screening at that meeting, said the group had a welcoming atmosphere, and she enjoyed the film.
“The movie was hilarious,” she said. “It was old-school cheese.”
Hirsh said group leaders have been choosing which movies will play, calling it a benevolent dictatorship.
“We try to choose movies that we own and that we know would be interesting,” he said.
The leaders of the club said they are looking into using Facebook to bring about a more democratic movie selection process.
They are working on building a relationship with MADCAP Theaters on Mill Avenue to bring horror movies out to the Tempe community.
The club also hosted a group movie pre-screening for “The Fourth Kind” at Tempe Marketplace on Oct. 23, Hirsch said.
In addition to the horror movies, the club also holds weekly screenings of the cult classic TV show “Twin Peaks.”
Hirsch said the group is trying to give students a place on campus to go and have a good time with the horror genre.
“We are reaching out to people who are living on campus, who don’t want to commit to a full night out,” Hirsh said. “We are hoping to pack this place with people who enjoy horror movies and can share in the fun.”
